Cantata

Cantata (from: Italian cantare, “to sing”), musical composition for solo voice or choir, usually with an instrumental accompaniment. One of the earliest composers of cantatas was Giacomo Carissimi, who wrote such works both for entertainment and for the church. Another important composer in this field was Alessandro Scarlatti, some of whose cantatas were almost as elaborate as opera. J.S. Bach wrote hundreds of cantatas as part of his normal duties as a church choirmaster.

See also: Bach, Johann Sebastian.